Income tax officials raid private university group across Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh

Bengaluru: Income-tax officials on Wednesday raided the premises linked to a private university in Bengaluru and outside Karnataka. 

The operation was initiated following allegations of tax evasion and a disproportionate increase in assets compared to declared income. 

The raids began at 6 am and were simultaneously conducted at multiple campuses in southern Bengaluru and Andhra Pradesh, sources said. 

Officials are probing over the allegations that the group's assets are far in excess of its reported income, and are verifying financial records. They are also verifying expenditures made in the name of college development, furniture purchases and the collection of student fees, the sources added. 

The probe is also focused on student admissions. Officials are seeking to verify details regarding the number of students admitted through both management and government quotas. Further, the number of college employees is also under scrutiny as part of the inquiry into the institution's financial practices, according to the sources.